Illinois EPA refers Fulton County livestock facility to Attorney General for enforcement

SPRINGFIELD—Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott has asked the Illinois Attorney General's office to proceed with enforcement action against Dare Farms of Canton, Illinois  for violations of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and Illinois Pollution Control Board regulations.  The Agency alleges lack of adequate manure storage capacity at the Fulton County facility, lack of adequate equipment/structures to properly manage the waste, and an inadequate land base to properly land apply wastes. 

 

The Illinois EPA is concerned that livestock waste overflows could enter the source of Canton's public water supply causing a threat to public health and the environment.  The Illinois EPA contends that by allowing liquid manure to overflow an in-ground lagoon and maintaining insufficient freeboard in the lagoon and above-ground storage structure, Dare Farms threatened water pollution.

 

The Illinois EPA has previously obtained a court order against Dare Livestock Farm for manure run-off from the facility, and earlier this year referred Dare Farms to the Illinois Attorney General's Office for odor violations.  Illinois environmental rules require that adequate odor control methods and technology be practiced by operators of livestock management facilities so as not to cause air pollution.  Operators of livestock facilities are also required to practice odor control methods during the course of manure removal and field application so as not to adversely affect neighboring farm or non-farm residences or populated areas by causing air pollution. 

 

During recent inspections earlier this month, the Agency learned that Dare Farms had increased their average cattle herd size to approximately 1800 head of cattle.  The significant growth in cattle density at the feedlot has compounded offensive odor conditions and complicated manure management procedures. 

 

The Agency is requesting that the owners of Dare Farms ensure they properly divert clean stormwater away from the feedlot/lagoon, maintain adequate freeboard in the lagoon and other manure storage structures and have adequately-sized and properly managed manure storage facilities to safely control the volume of manure produced by their cattle operation.